Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
140
Trip distance band
(miles)
120
>25
10-2
5-10
100
80
<5
60
40
20
0
Figure 2.7
Distance travelled per person per week as a car driver by area type of residence, adults
aged 17+ (source: NTS 2002-2006)
2.9 Variations in travel by settlement size and socio-economic group
As one would expect, average trip length and use of transport modes vary by settlement
size. Residents of smaller settlements make longer trips and a greater proportion by car.
Together these two factors mean that total travel by car is considerably higher (Figure
2.7). Compared with the average adult figure of of 89 miles a week made as a car driver,
residents of small towns (3,000-10,000 population) make an additional 23 miles and
residents of rural areas (settlements less than 3,000) an extra 49 miles. In both cases
all the difference is accounted for by more travel over distances greater than 5 miles.
Similar figures were derived from analysis of a body of NTS data collected between
1988 and 2001 (WSP and Arup 2005). This demonstrated that some of the difference
is attributable to variation in the socio-economic characteristics of the population
(especially the low values in Glasgow, Liverpool and Tyneside) but elsewhere this
accounts for only between 1 and 7 miles a week between the area-types.
We showed previously the variation between age and gender groups in the number
of trips made for different purposes (Figure 2.4). Characteristic differences in the trip
length of these purposes also contribute to the volume of travel undertaken by these
groups, as do differences in their use of transport modes consequent upon age, income
and car availability.
Figure 2.8 shows the variation in total travel by age group and the amount
undertaken by each of the main categories of transport mode. People in the 30-59 age
groups travel about twice the distance of the youngest and oldest groups.
Distance travelled by public transport is greatest amongst young adults and then
declines steadily with age. There is remarkably little travel by modes other than the
car amongst children (given that those aged 11+ will travel relatively more within this
group and are capable of walking, cycling or using public transport independently).
The use made of public transport is also perhaps lower than might be expected amongst
people aged 60+, given that (in 2006) all were entitled to free bus travel within their
local authority area and could utilise discounted rail travel.
Travel amongst older age groups is strongly conditioned by their declining physical
mobility (Figure 2.9). Below the age of 50 fewer than 5% of people have difficulty
Search WWH ::
Custom Search